Automatic driver-brake retainer.



` No. 734,859. PATENTED JULY 28, 1903.

W. HAMILTON & W. HOLMES.

AUTOMATIC DRIVER BRAKE RETAINER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

:D1/wanton! Gimmy A UNITED Patented Julyizs, 1903.

ATENT 'EEICE WILLIAM HAMILTON, OE srEATEORD, AND WILLIAM HOLMES, OE

MONTREAL, CANADA.

AUTOMAT|O DRIVER-BRAKE RETAINER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 734,859, dated July 28, 1.903. Application led April 3, 1903. Serial No. 151,006.` (No model.)

invented certain new and useful Improve-` ments in Automatic DriverBrake Retainers; and we do declare the following' to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable Others skilled in the art to-- p which it appertains to make an d use the same.

` The invention relates to an automatic brakeretainer designed for use upon air-brake systems.

i The object of the invention is` to provide means for maintaining the driver-brakes in operation after the train-service brakes have beenreleased; and itconsists in providing an i the locomotive whereby the brakes upon the` improved engineers brake-valve and certain additional connections between the essential elements of an air-brake system located upon same may be operated independently of those upon the balanceof the train..

When the brakeslupon a train in whichthe driver and train-service brakes are operated simultaneously are released, the engine and forward part of the train, being released more quickly than the rear portion,will have a tendency to runaway from the rear part, and

thereby cause a severe strain upon the conplings, and perhaps a separation of the train,

. Owing to the fact that the forward end of the train obtains an `accelerated motionv due to the slack in the couplings before the rear end is fairly released and under way. When our -automatic brake-retainer is employed, the

parts hereinafter fully described, claimed,

andillustrated in the accompanying drawo ings, in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatical view showing an engineersV brake-valve, a triple valve, the

retainer-valve, and connections between said parts. Fig. 2 isaverticalsectionalviewthrough our retainer-valve. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the valve-seat of an engineers brake-valve `of well-known construction, showing our improvement applied thereto; and Fig. 4is abottom plan view of the rotary element or valve proper, showing our improvements thereto.

Vhile we illustrate and will describe our )invention applied to the well-known Westthe usual and ordinary parts, including the rotary valve 2 and seat 3. Our improvement to this valve consists in providing in the valve-seat a passage 4, which is preferably formed by drilling a small hole vertically down through the seat 3 and another hori- Zontally through the shell l to communicate with the bottom of the vertical passage. The rotary valve 2 is provided, in addition to its usual ports, `with the port or Opening 5, which is adapted to register with the passage 4 in the valve-seat when the valve is inthe wellknown position of full release. The rotary valve 2 is also provided with a groove 6 upon its under face, which is adapted to afford communication between the passage 4 in the seat and the main exhaust of the valve when the latter is in the running position.

7 denotes the ordinary Westinghouse type of triple valve, the exhaust-port SOfwhich is connected by the pipe or connection 9 to the lower end of the retainer-valve 10. A pipe or other connection 11 is tapped into the horizontal portion of the passage i in the engineers valve and communicates with the top of said valve'lO. A

The retainer-valve comprises the body `portion or shell 12 and the screw-cap 13, be-

tween which is held the diaphragm 1,4, to which the stem or guide-sleeve 15 'is attached by the nut 16. Said sleeve 15 guides the up.- per end or stem of a valve 17,which is adapted to coact with the valve-seat 18, formed in the lower portion of the body, and to control the IOO exhaust of the triple valvey through the pipe 9. The compartment or chamber in the body 12 of the retainer-valve below the diaphragm and above the valve 17 is in communication with the atmosphere through the openings or apertures 19 in said body portion. The compartment in the cap above the diaphragm is in communication with the passage 4 of the engineers valve through the pipe 10. The retainer-valve may be attached to the engineers valve in any desired manner, but preferably,as shown in the drawings,by providing an angle-bracket 20, which is secured to a stud or connection upon the engineers valve, and by forming the lower end of the body of the retainer-valve with a threaded end,which passes through an aperture in the bracket lease the valve 17.

and is locked upon the same by the nut 21.4

In the operation oi' the invention when the handle of the engineers valve is turned to the full-release position port 5 in the rotary valve 2 will register with the passages 4 in the valve-seat 3, and thereby permit the air from the main reservoir to pass through the pipe 11 to the retainer-valve lO, above the diaphragm 14, in order to hold the valve 17 upon .its seatlS, and thus retain the pressure in the driver-brake cylinders by preventing the exhaust from the triple valve, and consequently hold the brakes on the engine set while the train-service brakes are being released in the usual way when the engineers valve is in this position of full release. In order to release the driver-brakes,the handle of the en gineers valve is turned so that the rotary valve 2 is in the running position, when the groove 6 upon the same will afford communication between the passage 4 and the main exhaust of .the engineers valve in order to permit the air in pipe 11 and in the. compartment above the diaphragm 14 to exhaust and thereby re- The exhaust from the lLriple valve 7 will then pass through the pipe 9, valve 17, and out through the openings 19 to the atmosphere, and the driver-brakes will be thereupon released.

The advantages attending the use of our invention are numerous. It will be seen that since the train can be kept bunched, with the couplings slack, the starting of the train will With the train thus bunched a second application of the brake may be made without a disagreeable shock. Upon mountainous roads with steep grades the auxiliary reservoirs need recharging, and this can be done while the driver-brakes are set, so that the engineer is at no time without a brake upon his engine. From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

it is thought that the construction, operation,

and advantages of our invention will be readily apparent without requiring aI more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to with out departing from the prin` ciple or sacriicing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus particularly described our nvention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an air-brake system, the combination of a triple valve, a retainer-valve controlling the exhaust of said triple valve, and an engineers valve having ports and passages adapted to afford communication between the retainer-valve and the main reservoir of the system when the engineers valve is in the full-release position, and to permit the retainer-valve to exhaust when the engineers valve is in the running position,77 substantially as described.

2. In an air-brake system, the combination of a triple valve, a retainer-valve closing the exhaust of said triple valve and provided with a controlling-diaphragm, andA an engineers valve havinga passage in its seat in communication with the retainer-valve above .its diaphragm and having its rotary element formed with a port adapted to open communication between the main reservoir and the said passage, whereby, when the engineers valve is in the position of full release, the retainer-valve will be held closed, said rotary element also having a groove adapted to open communication between said passage and the main exhaust when the engineers valve is in the running position, whereby the retainervalve may be released to permit the exhaust of the triple valve, substantially as described.

3. A retainer-valve comprising a body or shell provided with a threaded stem having a passage adaptedto communicate with the exhaust of a triple valve,said body being formed with a valve-seat upon the upper end of said passage, and with exhaust-openings, a screwcap for said body having an opening for con- ,nection with a controlling-valve, a diaphragm interposed between said body and cap, a guide-sleeve, attached to said diaphragm, and a valve coacting with said seat and having its stem guided in said sleeve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM HAMILTON. WILLIAM HOLMES.

Witnesses:

J. C. MAKINs,

E. M. BARLow.

IOO

IIC 

